Storm Chasing Equipment

I’ve had a lot of people ask me what kind of equipment I use when chasing. It’s really not much more than my laptop and some extras, but I’ll outline them here.

Ham Radio Gear

The main HAM radio gear in my vehicle is the Kenwood TM-D710A Dual Band (2m/440) mobile radio. I use it for both APRS and voice communication. I have the Byonics GPS2 hooked up to my Kenwood to provide the GPS data for APRS. My antenna is a Diamond NR770H NMO mount Dual Band which provides a 3.0db gain on 2 meters and 5.5db gain on 440.

Video Cameras

My video camera choice is a Sony CX900 camcorder which I have a Manfrotto tripod head attached. I use a filmtools windshield mount with the Manfrotto quick release to mount to my windshield and Manfrotto tripods.

Still Camera

Tripods

My choice of tripods is Manfrotto brand. They provide stability and ease of use as well as durability. One of my tripods has a fluid video head on it. The second tripod has a pistol grip that I use for easily pointing and capturing still images. The third is a light weight carbon fiber tripod that is great for hiking and travel.